Radiographic apparatus



S'Sheets-Sheet l J. R. KELLEY RADIOGRAPHI C APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1928 Sept. 12, 1933.

A TT ORNE Y.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

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mw IR Sept. 12, 1933. J. R. KELLEY RADIOGRAPHIC APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 28, 1928 &% L Qua Y $Q m6 m M 1 N R s A m w u U \m W & x S m \l v: B mm mwmgl 4 3 Patented Sept.112 ,=1933 V "UNE s rArE s PATENT 1 RADIoGRAenIo'ABrARATUs" John Robert Kelley, 'Covington,--Ky., assignor to 3 The. Kelley-Koett 'Manufacturing Company,

Covington, Ky .,j a corporation of Kentucky I Application March 28, 1923. :Serial No. 265,293," 7

6 Claims, (01. 250-34) 10 position to project X-rays centrally. upon the sensitive 'plate carried by the plate holder. An.-

other object is to-provide improved means whereby the X-ray generator may be oonveniently'adjusted either to orfrom the plate holder.

Another object is to provide fOIi adjusting the X-ray generator to or fromtheplate holder without materially disturbing the mutual counterbalancing of the X-ray generator and the plate holder or theautomatic moveme'ntand centering of the X-ray generator relative to. the plate and plate holder. Another object is to provide improved counterbalancing' and actuating mechanism connecting anrX -ray generator to a plate holder. .My invention alsocomprises Icer'taindetails of form and arrangement and combination of components, all of .which will b'e 'ifully set forth in-the description or the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a 'radiographic apparatus embodying my improvements: Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus illustrated in Fig.1. I I

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken on line.33 of'Figll. I f Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are sectionalfdetails of a portion of the. counterbalancing andcompensating apparatus;

4 fThe accompanying drawings illustrate. one em.

bodiment of my invention in Iwhichl5 represents. a stationary framework upon which is mounted andcounterbalanced a plate holder cabinet or carriage .16, which is ada'ptedto be freely and readily adjusted vertically to bring the cabinet 16 to any desired height relative to a patient or subject standing or sitting between the cabinet 16 and an X-ray tube or generator 17,'which is also vertically adjustable upon and relative to a tube supporting standard 18.

V The framework 15 comprises a base 20 to rest upon the floorof a room 21.,Projecting upwardly from'the base 20 are two tubular members 22 and 23 which serve as vertical guides for the plate cabinlet 16. The cabinet isprovided with rearwardly -with the base member20 a strong rigid frame- .of the cabinet or thesupportin'g frame15. The cabinet willthus remain at any position to which porting apparatus comprises abase 40 which is extending projections 24, which are bored to fit the -;tubular members 22 and 23 and serve as sleeves to slide vertically upon the members 22 and 23. A set screw 25is threadedinto oneof the projections 24 and at its inner end bears upon a soft metal plug 26, which when forced by the screw 25 into contact with the member 22 serves ,to lock the cabinet to its adjusted position upon the members 22 and 23, Projecting upwardly from thebase 20 aretwo tubular members 27 and 28, preferably of larger diameter than the members .22- and 23.- A plate or cross-bar 29 is'attached rigidly to the upper ends of the tubular members22; 23. 27, and 28 to form therewith and work for the support and guidance of. the plate cabinet 16. i

The plate 29'is provided with journal bearings 30 in whichis journaleda shaft 31.. Sprocket wheels 32-and 33 aremounted rigidly upon the shaft 31. Sprocket. chains '34 and 35 are supported upon and in driving relation to the sprocket 'wheels32 and 33. Atone end the sprocket chains 3 and 35 areattached p'ivotally to the upper edgeof the cabinet 16. At their. opposite ends 9 the sprocket chains 34 and .35iai'e attached to counter weights 36. which are housed within the bores'of the tubular members 2'? and 28, and

move up and down therein whenever the cabinet 16-is movedvertically. The weights 36 are proportioned so as to accurately counterbalance the weight of. the cabinet 16 and members carried thereby, so that when the set screw 25 is released a'n operator may place his'handupon the hand lever 3'7 attached rigidly to the cabinet ,0 16. and move the cabinet 16 up or down to any desired position with small effort, and with practically no noise, lost motion or vibration either I it may be adjusted. 7

It .has been customary heretofore to mount X-raytubes at a fixed distance from the plate cabinet, it is however desirable to vary the" disefiicient means whereby the tube may be quickly andjreadily adjusted. to and from the :platecabat intervals. with perforations 39 to receive a spring bolt to lock the X-ray tube supporting apparatus to 'said track at relatively different distancesfrom the platecabinet. The tube suptance between the X-raytube and the plate cab- .1

'inet, and I have devised improved reliable and providedwith extended arms to which are jourends of the shaft 45.

rollers 41 and 42 are located upon opposite sides of the track 38 and rest upon the floor 21. The rollers 41 and 42 are mounted loosely upon the The roller 43 is preferably but not necessarily employed, and is a grooved or flanged roller to ride'upon and be guided along the track 38, and is mounted rigidly upon the shaft 45. The roller 44 is a grooved or flanged'roller mounted loosely upon a shaft 46 carried in the forked end of the base member 40. Tubular members 47 and 48 project upwardly from the base member 40. A cap member 49 is rigidly attached to the upper ends of the tubular members 47 and 48, whereby the base 40, tubular members 47 and 48 and cap member 49 together constitute a strong rigid framework for the support of the X-ray tube. The Xray tube is mounted either rigidly or adjustably upon an X-ray tube carriage 50, which has a sleeve 51 which slides vertically upon the tubular member 47, and is provided with'antifriction rollers 52 and 53 to assist in the noiseless and vibrationless movement of the X-ray tube carrier 50 upon the tube 47. 7

Vertical tie-rods 80 and 81 extend parallel with and upon opposite sides of the vertical tube 48. A bracket 82 is rigidly attached to the sleeve 51 and is provided at its rear end with forked projections 83 embracing the tie-rods 80 and 81 to guide the X-ray tube carriage 50 in its movements and prevent said carriage moving rotatably upon the tube 47.

The cap member 49 is provided with journal bearings 54 and 55 in which is journaled a shaft 56. A sprocket wheel-57 is mounted rigidly upon the shaft 56. A sprocket chain 58 is mounted upon the sprocket wheel 57. One end of the sprocket chain 58 is attached to the upper end of the sleeve 51. The opposite end of the-sprocket chain 58 is attached to a counter weight 59 which is housed within-the tubular member 48, and moves vertically therein when the X-ray tube carriage is moved vertically upon the tubular member 4'7. V The weight 59 is slightly more than sufficient to counterbalance the weight of the X- ray tube carriage and members carried thereby. In order to accurately counterbalance the weight of the X-ray tube carriage and members carried thereby, and to cause the X-ray tube carriage to automatically move up and down in unison with the movements of the plate cabinet, I provide a thin walled metal housing 60 having its lower end closed by means of a plug 61 and provided with a relatively restricted air vent 62. The casing 60 is attached rigidly to the bracket 82 of the X-ray tubecarriage 50 and moves therewith. A counterbalancing weight 63 fits snugly within the casing 60, and is adapted to move vertically therein, thereby causing a current of air to enter or leave the space .below the weight 63 within the casing 60 through the air vent 62, due to the fit of the weight 63 being close enough to the inner face of the casing 60, sothat all the air required for displacement of the weight 63 cannot be supplied between the weight and the wallof the casing 60. and thereby causing the air to form an air cushion below the weight when the weight is descending 'into the casing 60 and to create a partial vacuum within the casing 60 when the weight is lifted rapidly therein. Above the weight 63 is 'a supplemental weight 64 connectedto the weight 63 by means ofa connecting rod 65 which enters through 'a perforation in the cap 66 of the weight 63 into a chamber 67 within the weight 63. Lock-nuts 68 and 69 are threaded to the rod 65 within the chamber 67, to prevent the lower end of the rod 65 being withdrawn through the perforation in the cap 66. The supplemental weight 64 may'thus be employed to support the weight 63 through the rod 65, and to withdraw or partially withdraw the weight 63 from the casing 60 as shown in Fig. 7. Also the weight 64 may be lowered so as to rest upon and add its weight to that of the weight 63, due to the rod 65 being forced down into the chamber 67, as shown in Fig. 6.

The upper end of the weight 64 is attached to a wire cable or chain '74, which passes over an idler pulley '70 and thence over a pulley 71 mounted loosely upon the shaft 56, and thence passes to a drum 72 mounted loosely upon the shaft 31. The wire cable 74 makes several turns around the drum and has one end attached to said drum. A spiral spring 85 has one end attached to the drum 72 and its opposite end attached to a hub 73 attached rigidly to the shaft 31"; The spiral spring is designed to resiliently take up the slack in the cable 74 and wind the slack upon the drum 72 when the X-ray tube is moved toward the plate cabinet, 16, and to yield cable by unwinding it from the drum '72, when the X-ray tube is moved away from the plate cabinet. A toothed clutch member 86 on the hub 73' is adapted to be clutched rigidly to the drum 72 by means of a tooth or latch 87 carried by a small hand lever 75 'pivotally attached to the drum 72, to thereby lock the drum '72 in operative relation to the shaft 31 and plate cabinet 16 after each adjustment of the X-ray tube to or from the plate cabinet. A set screw 76 enables the weight 63'to be locked rigidly to the housing 60." A set screw 77 enables the X-' ray tube carriage to be locked rigidly to the 3 When the set screws 76 shown in. Fig.5 is just suflicient to counter- I balance-the weight of'th'e' X-ray tube carriage and parts carried thereby causing them to hold any position to which they may be adjusted. The lifting of the weight 63 from its position of rest within the housing 60, as shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 7 causes the .X-ray tube carriage to become of lighter weight than the weight 59, and hence to rise. The addition of the weight 64 to that of 63 as shown in Fig. 6 causes the X-ray tube carriage to .prevail over the weight 59 and to descend. Hence when the operator grasps the handle 37 and depresses the plate cabinet, the wire cable is unwound from the drum 72 until the weight 64 rests upon the weight 63. causing the 'X-ray tube carriage to descend until the X-ray tube becomes central with the plate'cabinet, where the weights 63 and 64 separate and the parts become'stationary. When the handle 37 is employed to elevate the plate cabinet the wire otherof the 'periorations'39 in the track 38.

pivotally mounted-foot lever-97 is adaptedto be actuated to withdraw the bolt95- from engage: ment with the perforation in the track-38 when it: is'desired to adjust the -X-ray tube toa new position relative to the plate cabinet.

The sensitive plates may be mounted in plate holders and supported in any desired manner within'the plate cabinet 16. A cable 90 containing a plurality of electrical conductors isemployed to electrically actuate mechanism to shift the plate holders within the plate cabinet, and to energize or to shift the X-ray tube, and to connect said electrically actuated mechanism with a push bottom close to the apparatus and also a push bottom'adapted toact as a remote control therefor. In order to support the-cable fl90relative to the frames 15 and 18 I prosaid vide a metal tube section 91 attached by-means of 'a bracket 92 to the cross bar -29 of the frame 15, and a tube section 93 telescopically adjustable relative to the tube section 91, and attached rigidly to'the cap 49 of the-frame 18, so that movement of the X-ray tube toward or from the plate cabinet causes the tube sections 91' and 93 to move telescopicallyand relatively, and enables said tube sections .91 and 93 to support 7 the cable without injury thereto.

The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerablemodification within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is: I

l. Radiographic apparatus comprising a plate cabinet supporting member, a plate cabinet adjustable vertically upon said cabinet supporting member, an X-ray generator supporting member, an X-ray generator adjustable vertically upon said generatorsupporting member, means to substantially counterbalance the weight of said plate cabinet and X-ray generator and cooperating parts upon said supporting members, and supplemental weights one of which is adapted to be actuated for automatically causing one of said vertically adjustable members to move vertically in the same direction when the opposite member is manually adjusted. I

2. Radiographic apparatus comprising a plate cabinet supporting member, aplate cabinetadgenerator mounted, thereon and adjustably mounted upon said generator supporting member,

means to substantially counterbalance saidX-ray generator carriage and cooperating parts, a supplemental counterweight, housing having a restricted air port leading thereto carried by said co-operating parts, a major supplemental counterweight movable into and out of said housing, a minor supplemental counterweight connected to major supplemental counterweight and adapted to be moved to rest upon said major supplemental counterweight, and to: support its own weight independently of the majorsupplemental counterweight, and to support its own weight and also that of said majorsupplemental counterweight, and means adjustably connecting said minor supplemental counterweight to the cabinet.

r "3. Badiographicf apparatus comprising a plate cabinet supporting member, a plate "cabinet ad-i justably mounted upon said supporting member;

means to substantially"counterbalance said plate cabinet; an X ray generator supporting member,

an*X ra'y" generator carriage-having "an 'X-ray generatof mou'nted "thereon "and adjustably mounted'iupo n said generatorsupporting member} means to substantially counterbalance said X-ray generator carriageand co-operating parts, a supplementaltcounterweight housing. having a restricted air port leading thereto carried by said cooperating parts, a major supplemental counterweight movable into and out of said housing, a

minor supplemental counterweight adaptedto be H connected to said major supplemental counterweight and movable to rest upon said major supplemental counterweight, and to support its own weight independently of the major supplemental counterweight, and to support its own weight and also that of said major supplemental counterweight, a resiliently actuated drum, a flexible connection leading from said minor supplemental counterweight to said drum, a driven member driven in unison with said plate cabinet counterbalancing means, a clutch member operable to clutch said drum in driving relation to said driven member.

4. Radiographic apparatus comprising a plate cabinet supporting member, a plate cabinet adjustably mounted upon said supporting member,

an X-ray generator supporting member, an X-ray generator carriage and co-operating parts having an X-ray generator mounted thereon and adjustably mounted on said X-ray generator member, a counterweight housing carried by said cooperating'parts and provided at its lower end with an airport, a major counterweightjmovable into and out of said counterweight housingand adapted to have its movement pneumatically cushioned within said counterweight housing, a minor counterweight adapted to be connected to said major counterweight, adapted to rest upon said major counterweight, adapted to be supported independently of said major counterweight and adapted to support the weight of said major counterweight, and means'to connect said minor counterweight to said plate cabinet to move said minor counterweight upwardly when said plate cabinet is moved upwardly, and to move said minor counterweight downwardly when said plate cabinet is moved downwardly.

5. A first substantially counterbalanced member, a second substantially counterbalanced member, a supplemental counterweight housing carried by said second substantially counterbalanced member and provided with an air port, a major supplemental counterweight movable into and out of said counterweight housing, a minor supplemental counterweight adapted to be connected to said major supplemental counterweight, adapted to rest upon said major supplemental -'counter- I weight, adapted to be supported independently of said major supplemental counterweight and adapted to support the weight of said major supplemental counterweight, and means to connect said minor supplemental counterweight to said first substantially counterbalanced member'formoving said minor supplemental counterweight upwardly when said first counterbalanced member moves upwardly and to move said minor-supplemental counterweight downwardly when said first counterbalanced member moves downwardly.

mental weights one of which when in contact with cooperating parts of said X-ray generator insures the counterbalancing of said X-ray generator and cooperating parts, the other of said weights being connected to said plate cabinet and adapted to be actuated by the manual adjustment of said plate cabinet for insuring automatic movement of said X-ray generator in the same direction as said plate cabinet. JOHN ROBERT KELLEY. 

